Types of honey
Depending on the species of flower visited by the bees, honey has a specific aroma, flavour and colour. Quebec is home to a number of types of honey, notably clover (1), wildflower (2), blueberry (3), raspberry (4), goldenrod (5), linden (6), apple (7), buckwheat (8) and dandelion (9).
Honey categories
Honey is classified on a scale from 1 to 3, with 1 being the best quality, based on criteria that include its water content, absence of foreign substances and flavour. The honey commonly sold at the supermarket is generally No. 1 grade, while lesser grades are normally used in commercially produced foods.
Honey is also classified by colour: white, golden, amber or dark. Honey’s colour depends on the species of flower the bees frequent. In general, the lighter a honey is in colour, the milder and sweeter its flavour, while a dark honey will have a more pronounced taste.
Bees
The fossil record tells us that bees have been around for over 40 million years. Though ancient, bees are a highly evolved species of insect with well-developed senses. Their eyes detect multiple colours including black, white, yellow, blue, blue-green and violet, but not the colour red.
The domesticated bee (Apis Mellifera) is an insect with a hairy body and narrow waist. Bee society is made up of 3 distinct groups:
- The queen: the biggest bee in the colony, measuring 16 to 20 mm.
- The workers: female bees, 12 mm long, are the bees we see buzzing from flower to flower outside the hive.
- The drones: the male bees.